COIMBATORE: The proposal made by the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital in Coimbatore seeking the state government's approval to establish a nursing college on the premises has been on hold for over a year now. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital management renovated an abandoned block on its premises to expand the resources to tackle a surge in cases, which provided them with the necessary infrastructure to house the nursing college. The management is expecting the newly formed TVK-led government to make a positive decision in this regard soon.
According to sources from the hospital, the proposal included a request for the allocation of 100 seats -- 60 for BSc Nursing course and 40 for Post Basic B Sc Nursing (an undergraduate bridge programme for candidates with a diploma in nursing). Sources said the management, with the infrastructure all set, expected the state government to give approval during the previous academic year. A senior official from the hospital said, "We have the necessary faculty members in place. We were expecting that once we received approval from the state government, the entire block could be utilised for college purposes."
At present, the institution, including the medical college and the ESI hospital, spans 38 acres and has a capacity of handling 510 inpatients. Currently, the medical college is offering 100 MBBS and five MD seats. Following the proposal to establish a nursing college on the premises, health officials made multiple visits to inspect the infrastructure, but the project is yet to take off.
Unlike regular government hospitals, the ESI Hospital offers only limited services, such as emergency care for 48 hours and vaccination.
On July 22, 2o22, the healthcare institute became the first ESI hospital in the country to establish an autopsy facility on its premises. A senior authority from the ESI hospital said, "Similarly, we had expected to establish a nursing college. We made continuous efforts over the last five years, expecting it would be sanctioned by the end of 2025. But the proposal was put on hold at the final stage of its approval." The hospital authority added that the management has been expecting the newly-formed government to sanction the proposal, which, when implemented, would offer more opportunities to nursing students.